How Do You Plan Your New Routes?

CleeRider

Apart from getting in the car, does anyone use a web site or other tool to do this?

I found Google Earth has a great feature where you can simply hover the mouse pointer along the length of a road and it will tell you the elevation at each point. Great for finding routes with/without hills. The streetview feature is also great for actually 'riding' the route from the comfort of your sofa and noting things like the state of the road surface, dangerous junctions, tight bends on descents etc.

Does anyone else have tips to share?

Mike39496

http://bikeroutetoaster.com to plot the route, then Google street view to check out the road quality and turnings in the hope I then won't get lost! I've started putting the maps from bike route toaster on my Garmin 500 too so you can follow the breadcrumb trail (it actually tells you when to turn too!)

loismustdie

Sticking with the Google theme, they now offer cycling based directions - it's come up with some interesting routes that hadn't occurred to me.

Omar Little

bikehike.co.uk is the easiest to map with plus it has OS maps as well as google. Only downside is you cant save routes on their website only download the gpx files.

t.m.h.n.e.t

Get dressed

Lube chain - check tyre pressures

Prepare bottles + food

Point bike at door

Exit door

Ride

ReesA

I bought an Edge 500 so I can easily input an objective like a climb or something new and then be guided to it. As I ride alone most of the time I found I was repeated the same routes over and over which became a bit boring. With the 500 I can easily go new places and get back -- especially considering I didn't grow up where I live now and don't know the area that well as I haven't done many group/club rides here yet.

I usually use a combination of a good book like 100 cycling climbs then figure out a circuit to and from the target climb using Garmin connect.

HasselHough

http://gb.mapometer.com/

this is really very good.

discalimer. well i like it anyway.....

taff..

T.M.H.N.E.T wrote:

Get dressed

Lube chain - check tyre pressures

Prepare bottles + food

Point bike at door

Exit door

Ride

this is all well and good if you have lived in the area for a long time and know it reasonably well, but I find it doesn't work so well if you move around the country or want a route while you are away from home.

I use bikeroutetoaster to plot a route and upload it to my edge 705, before I leave I know how far I'm going to be riding, the amount of climbing and about how long it'll take. I can also chose to avoid A roads and stick to minor roads and lanes, and I know that I'll never get hopelessly lost which I invariably do if I don't plot a route.

i also leave the route open in a window on my laptop so that if I don't return in a sensible time MrsTaff knows where I've gone

CleeRider

HasselHough wrote:

http://gb.mapometer.com/

this is really very good.

discalimer. well i like it anyway.....

This is amazing

I especially like the "Show Altitude" graph at the bottom and the nice and simple 'Close Loop' and 'Out & Back' options.

Thanks for sharing!

plowmar

I'm olde worlde and use a road map staying well clear of those with echelons on them, then write down the names of villages on the route and the traffic signs then take care of the rest.

Alternatively I use a previously ridden route and vear off it at some stage, using my 'home' button on the garmin if I get too lost.

Nick Cod

+1 for Routetoaster

nickel

A combination of bikehike and street view, the OS map feature is really useful as what google maps calls a road can sometimes be a cart track!!

Rench88

+1 for google maps, but when looking for a brand new route bikeroutetoaster is useful

simona75

I will often use about 75% of a previous route as a base and then add on a few new roads based looking at google maps or everytrail. I find this gives me something new to explore while not having to stop at every junction to look at a map.

Gizmodo

[url]Http://www.ridewithgps.com[/url]

adm1

www.mapmyride.com

Good mapping tools, elevation plots, ride & workout logging, export routes, etc....

peat

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/ in conjunction with an OS map (which you can also get on Bing Maps now i notice)

Sentral

http://www.cyclestreets.net/

Can chose quietest > shortest routes and download gpx on there. I'll check out the others though!

karlth

BRT is keen on sending you along footpaths. Round my way there are a few cuts that are quite doable on a road bike but are not open to motor vehicles so putting it on "driving" means these get missed, but putting it on "cycling" will give it licence to take you up any ginnel it fancies.

I think I like Bikehike best; it's the most accurate on ascent/descent - BRT is a bit conservative on its calculations there, and Bikehike actually gives gradients - although when it says 20% there could well be a few yards of considerably steeper tarmac.

HasselHough

CleeRider wrote:

HasselHough wrote:

http://gb.mapometer.com/

this is really very good.

discalimer. well i like it anyway.....

This is amazing

I especially like the "Show Altitude" graph at the bottom and the nice and simple 'Close Loop' and 'Out & Back' options.

Thanks for sharing!

you're very welcome, happy to help :-)

Reane_Machine

adm1 wrote:

http://www.mapmyride.com

Good mapping tools, elevation plots, ride & workout logging, export routes, etc....

+1

I like the elevation profile and the ease of mapping.

Robbie1958

I use Garmin Connect to plan my route. Then i send them to my Garmin 800. it's perfect for discovering roads that i have ridden past before wondering where they go and am now exploring, by using the combination of mapping and gps......perfect

Sesquepidilian

taff.. wrote:

T.M.H.N.E.T wrote:

Get dressed

Lube chain - check tyre pressures

Prepare bottles + food

Point bike at door

Exit door

Ride

this is all well and good if you have lived in the area for a long time and know it reasonably well, but I find it doesn't work so well if you move around the country or want a route while you are away from home.

I use bikeroutetoaster to plot a route and upload it to my edge 705, before I leave I know how far I'm going to be riding, the amount of climbing and about how long it'll take. I can also chose to avoid A roads and stick to minor roads and lanes, and I know that I'll never get hopelessly lost which I invariably do if I don't plot a route.

i also leave the route open in a window on my laptop so that if I don't return in a sensible time MrsTaff knows where I've gone

Well not necessarily. Some of my best rides have been when I fancied something other than the usual routes and just go get lost in th country for a couple of hours. It's hard to gauge what kinda of mileage I'm doing though, and last time I ran out of water during a hot day and had to water-bonk for the last 45mins or so...

wod1

I live at the bottom of a smooth 500ft descent to my house over 5 miles with the prevailing wind behind me. I usually plan my routes with this as the last 5 miles to make it easier. Very lazy I know but does give the average speed a boost with the legs not working as hard with this approach to home. The home stretch is always in sight that bit sooner.

BlakeysFC

I usually meticulously plan my rides on cycle-route.co.uk or use one of the routes that is on there.

karlth

wod1 wrote:

I live at the bottom of a smooth 500ft descent to my house over 5 miles with the prevailing wind behind me. I usually plan my routes with this as the last 5 miles to make it easier. Very lazy I know but does give the average speed a boost with the legs not working as hard with this approach to home. The home stretch is always in sight that bit sooner.

May you fall in a hole!

(only joking)

I live at the top of a 450' hill which drops in all directions, meaning the last leg of any ride is a 250' climb, involving sustained slopes between 5 and 10% in every direction. At least we'll never flood.

WarlKicken

'Plan'? What is Plan?

Kingy 123

I like the old fashioned way ,ride some where new and use road signs.

Getting lost for a a while then reaching a main road with signage or asking someone directions.

I dont do this all the time but i like being on my own not really knowing where im going to end up.

Sometimes riding the same routes can become tedious so this makes it a bit more interesting.

Reane_Machine

I like the idea of just going out and doing it. I have done it a few times myself and it is great fun.

But sometimes, especially if it's a long ride, I think planning ahead even vaguely helps.

Also it's more time riding less time studying signs.

Eyorerox

Go for a ride, get lost then ask your Garmin to get you home, The Garmin generates some of the most bizarre routes, I have ever ridden.

Mark Elvin

Garmin Connect all the way for me.